


Secrets

by captain_afghanistan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, F/M, PTSD, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, after the war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 23:18:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4118335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_afghanistan/pseuds/captain_afghanistan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that the war is over and Voldemort is dead, the former students of Hogwarts have to readjust to living normally. This fanfiction follows the POV's of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Luna, George, Percy, Neville, and Molly Weasley as they struggle to live with their PTSD.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. POV Harry

He walked into Grimmauld Place, the place he'd been living since the war, with quiet steps.

" _Homenum Revelio_ ," he whispered, afraid that someone else would be inside the house. Luckily, he found he was alone. Ever since the war, Harry has been afraid that he was being followed by Death Eaters everywhere he went. He was into the habit of checking the house every time he entered, scared that one day he would find Voldemort lurking in the shadows.

It was stupid; he knew that. Voldemort was dead — Harry himself had killed him. Still, he found it difficult to relax. For the first few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, he'd stayed with the Weasley's in the Burrow. Though he knew Molly Weasley was happy to let him stay, he couldn't let himself be a burden to her. She'd lost Fred, George's twin brother, and they were all still grieving. They didn't need his presence, a constant reminder of why and how Fred died.

Harry blamed himself for not only Fred's death, but every other one that had taken place. The Battle — no, the entire war — was his fault. Solely his. Had he just presented himself to Voldemort when he'd asked, so many lives could have been spared. Including Fred's.

Ginny had tried to convince him that it would be better that she lived here with him. She insisted that Mrs. Weasley would let her, and she probably would, but it wasn't a wise choice. Molly needed her daughter at home to help her around the house, and Ginny still had her final year of school ahead of her. There was no way Harry was going to let her throw that away for him.

Ginny, stubborn as she was, wouldn't listen to him. So, Harry had turned to Hermione, who was returning to finish school that year. He knew she would be on his side.

"You have to graduate," she'd told Ginny, and Harry was so grateful. "What would Ron think?"

Despite what Ginny said to him, Harry knew she would listen to her older brother. Ron had looked out for her throughout the seven years he was at school, and he wasn't going to let her out from under his eye ever since the incident with the Chamber of Secrets.

Harry still had nightmares about that. He'd find himself in the Chamber, Ginny dying, Tom Riddle taunting him. Fawkes would fly in and drop the Sorting Hat, but there was no sword of Gryffindor. Harry had to run from the basilisk until he was inevitably caught.

The beast's fangs would pierce through his skin like they had when he was twelve, and he would relive the pain again. The fear would ignite inside him, and he knew he was going to die. Just as his vision started to fade to black, he would wake up screaming.

Harry shuddered at the memory as he walked to his room, Sirius's old one. He turned on the light and sat on the bed, contemplating what he should do until dark. He had a job at the Ministry as an Auror, where he worked side by side with Ronald Weasley, his childhood best friend. The job was not only a constant reminder of the things he'd experienced in the past seven years, but he also knew he was helping to prevent another war from happening, and that kept him going. As long as he was doing good, helping wizards and Muggles alike, he was okay.

For now, Harry decided, he would take some time to visit his godson Teddy Lupin out at Andromeda's house. He could use a distraction.


	2. POV Ron

    As Ron walked into the Burrow, he was embraced by his mother's arms.  
    "Hello, Mum," he said as he hugged her back.  
    "I'm so glad you're home," Molly said, voice shaking. "I think something's wrong with George, and I can't get him to talk to me."  
    Ron sighed. "I'll try," he said.  
    "Thank you," murmured his mother.  
    He nodded and continued up the stairs toward George's room. He could hear his brother's cries, and Ron had to swallow his own tears. The door to his room was closed, and when Ron tried to open it, he found it was locked.  
    "George," he said. "Come on, George. Open up."  
    Nothing happened.  
    "Please," he said. "I can't help you if you don't let me in."  
    Still nothing.  
    " _Alohomora_ ," muttered Ron, as he pushed the door open. He found George standing in front of the mirror, tears streaming from his eyes.  
    "Every time I look in the mirror," he said, voice cracking with grief. "Every time, I think it's him. I think he's there. Ron, I-I don't know what to do."  
    "I know," Ron said, walking up to his big brother and wrapping him in a brotherly embrace. "Believe me, I know."  
    "I-I just... I don't know what to do," George murmured. "I can't stop looking over to tell him something funny or give him an idea for a new Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes product. And when I do, I see that he's not there and I break down again."  
    "I know, brother," Ron said.  
    "I wish he was still alive," George said, chin wobbling.  
    "I do, too," Ron said. "Believe me."  
    And then George let himself go, and Ron did, too. Ever since Fred's death, George had been unable to joke, go to his shop, or even have a family dinner without crying. Up until the battle, Ron had never seen his older brother cry. Now, it was rare to not see tears streaming down his face.  
    Ron tried to stay strong for his family. He knew he wasn't the only one missing Fred. There was his mum and dad, Ginny, Charlie, Bill, and most importantly, George. Percy wasn't part of the family, anymore, according to him. He knew it was selfish to think that he was the only one who was grieving. But, sometimes, he just wished everyone else would baby him like they babied George.  
    Fred was his brother, too. Ron missed him as much as anyone else did, but he didn't reveal it. Because Charlie was hardly ever home still, and Bill was busy with Fleur, and Percy was who knows where, Ron was the backbone of the family. His father spent most of his time comforting Mrs. Weasley, and he didn't have time to tend to Ginny and George. Ron, because Hermione was back at Hogwarts, had all the time in the world to check up on his brother and write to Ginny.  
    The only time he got away from it was when he went to work, where he saw Harry. It was the one window of the day where he tried to let the events of the past leave his mind. He could see that Harry was stuck in the past, too, but he tried to hide it. But, Ron knew his friend better than almost anyone.  
    Right now, he just let all of his feelings pour out through his tears. The war may be over, but its effects would continue to influence his life for years.  
  



	3. POV Hermione

    Hermione woke up, stepping out of her four-poster. Ginny was across the dormitory, getting dressed. The two had the same classes for the first half of the school year because they were both N.E.W.T. students.  
    "Finally, you're awake," Ginny said as she pulled on her trousers. "Took you long enough."  
    "I had a nightmare," Hermione said, yawning.  
    "Oh. Are you alright?" Ginny knew how terrible the nightmares could get.  
    "I'm alright now," Hermione replied. "Let's just get to class."  
    She ran a comb through her frizzy, brown hair and pulled on her uniform. Her first class was Potions with Professor Slughorn, and she needed to be on time. Despite being one of his favorite students, she still would like to arrive before the class started.  
    "Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked as they walked.  
    "I'm fine, thanks," Hermione replied, a little sharply. "Could we talk about something else?"  
    "Sure," said Ginny. "Are you looking forward to Christmas break?"  
    "Of course," Hermione said. "Who do you think I am?"  
    "Is there a specific thing — or person — you're looking forward to seeing?" Ginny pressed, raising her eyebrows.  
    Hermione shook her head and giggled, refusing to answer the question. Her best friend knew she was dating her brother; she didn't feel she needed to say it aloud.  
    "Alright, fine," Ginny said, holding up her hands in submission. "Don't tell me."  
    "Okay!" Hermione exclaimed. "I want to see Harry and Ron!"  
    "Oooh," Ginny cooed.  
    "Shut up."  
  
****  
  
    They took their seats in the front of the classroom. Slughorn smiled grimly at them, but not as cheerfully as he used to. Ever since the war, the teachers have been more calm and far less talkative.  
    The students that had been here during the Battle walked faster than they used to, eyes flickering to the edges of the corridors in search of Death Eaters  and dementors. The bullying had been mostly eliminated, and friendships across the Houses was more abundant.  
    The Slytherins traveled alone; the rest of the school was too afraid to talk to them. They didn't try to make friends, for they blamed themselves for the war. It was rare to see a Slytherin walking with more than one other student, and that student was almost never from another House.  
    A few of the Slytherin's from Hermione's old Year had returned to finish school, but Hermione had never been friends with any of them. Most of them, she didn't recognize. Among the few she did was Pansy Parkinson.  
    Pansy was one of the few that wasn't afraid to resort to the old ways. She bullied other students, but mostly because she no longer had any friends. She always walked alone in the hallways, and Hermione felt bad for her. If she wasn't so mean to everyone else, perhaps she'd have made a few new friends.  
    Hermione was still the top student in the class, with Ginny trailing behind as second. Both girls were exceptional in all their classes, and Hermione hadn't missed a single question on a worksheet or test yet. This school year was off to a good start, and there had been no mishaps.  
    Nothing like the past seven years.


	4. POV Percy

    He walked into his house.  
    "Audrey!" he called out. "I'm home!"  
    She came running to him. "Percy! How was work today?" she asked as she plopped a kiss on his cheek.  
    "It was alright," he said, biting back the rest of his thoughts. He'd met Harry and Ron in the elevator today.  
    Harry had politely greeted him, asked him how he was doing. Percy answered and returned the question. After answering, Harry had been quiet and Percy waited for Ron to speak.  
    His younger brother said nothing to him, probably because there was nothing for him to say. Percy had choked back a few tears as he realized how his brother must think of him: as a traitor. He'd stuck to the side of the Minister all through the war until it ended, and he'd realized he'd been wrong the entire time.  
    When he went home, he was welcomed with cold stares. No one was more than cordial. His mother couldn't stop staring at him with disgust, and she still resented him, no matter how many times she denied it. If she and the rest of the family wasn't still angry with him, why hadn't they shown up to his and Audrey's wedding? He'd made sure he invited each and every one of them.  
    The only people that had shown up were Harry and Hermione and Bill and Fleur. His parents were a no-show. There was no Ginny, no George, no Ron, and no Charlie. Harry and Hermione were polite and they made sure to mingle for a half hour after the wedding. Bill and Fleur stuck around, and Bill made sure that he knew that he was okay.  
    Bill had told Percy that he could come visit anytime he wanted, and Fleur had agreed. Percy was so grateful for his older brother, the only one who seemed to remember the he, too, was a human being that made mistakes.  
    That didn't stop him from blaming himself for his brother's death. It should have been Percy there in front of that Death Eater, not Fred. No one would have missed him. They would be glad he was dead.  
    A tear ran down his cheek.  
    "Are you alright, dear?" Audrey asked as she pulled away from him.  
    "I don't know," Percy said.


End file.
